The invention relates to compressors. More particularly, the invention relates to refrigerant compressors.
Screw-type compressors are commonly used in air conditioning and refrigeration applications. In such a compressor, intermeshed male and female lobed rotors or screws are rotated about their axes to pump the working fluid (refrigerant) from a low pressure inlet end to a high pressure outlet end. During rotation, sequential lobes of the male rotor serve as pistons driving refrigerant downstream and compressing it within the space between an adjacent pair of female rotor lobes and the housing. Likewise sequential lobes of the female rotor produce compression of refrigerant within a space between an adjacent pair of male rotor lobes and the housing. The interlobe spaces of the male and female rotors in which compression occurs form compression pockets (alternatively described as male and female portions of a common compression pocket joined at a mesh zone). In one implementation, the male rotor is coaxial with an electric driving motor and is supported by bearings on inlet and outlet sides of its lobed working portion. There may be multiple female rotors engaged to a given male rotor or vice versa.
When one of the interlobe spaces is exposed to an inlet port, the refrigerant enters the space essentially at suction pressure. As the rotors continue to rotate, at some point during the rotation the space is no longer in communication with the inlet port and the flow of refrigerant to the space is cut off. After the inlet port is closed, the refrigerant is compressed as the rotors continue to rotate. At some point during the rotation, each space intersects the associated outlet port and the closed compression process terminates. The inlet port and the outlet port may each be radial, axial, or a hybrid combination of an axial port and a radial port.
It is often desirable to temporarily reduce the refrigerant mass flow through the compressor by delaying the closing off of the inlet port (with or without a reduction in the compressor volume index) when full capacity operation is not required. Such unloading is often provided by a slide valve having a valve element with one or more portions whose positions (as the valve is translated) control the respective suction side closing and discharge side opening of the compression pockets. The primary effect of an unloading shift of the slide valve is to reduce the initial trapped suction volume (and hence compressor capacity); a reduction in volume index is a typical side effect. Exemplary slide valves are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20040109782 A1 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,249,866 and 6,302,668.
If, for example, there is a restriction downstream of the discharge plenum, the discharge pressure may become excessive, potentially damaging the compressor. Accordingly, compressors may include a pressure relief valve. An exemplary relief valve is positioned in a passageway between the discharge plenum and the suction plenum and vent gas from the discharge plenum to the suction plenum when the pressure difference across the valve exceeds a threshold pressure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,081 discloses a bidirectional pressure relief valve. That also addresses flow reversal conditions.
Additionally, international application PCT/US05/03813, filed Feb. 7, 2005 discloses a pressure relief valve protecting the slide valve piston rings.